Pruning-shears.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

W. H. GRAY.

PRUNING SHEARS. v 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1905...

wilhessea 6Z0". /J J C WILLIAM HENRY GRAY,

OF EDDYVILLE, IOWA.

PRUNING-SI-IEARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

' Application filed June 24. 1905. Serial No. 266.873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAH HENRY GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eddyville, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pruning-Shears, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to p10vide a pruning shears of simple, durable and inexpensive construction in which the movable knife blade operates with a drawing cut throughout its entire movement and is firmly held against the stationary blade as required for efficient cutting.

A further object is to provide a device of this class with a stationary blade provided with a sharp edge and a square shoulder, said sharp edge designed to enter and sever the bark of a branch to be out far enough, so that when the branch is severed by the movable blade the bark will be cut through so that aclean cut all around the branch will be made.

My invention consists in the construction,.arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device,

.whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the complete shears. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a transverse sectional view taken on a line through the center of the outer guiding bracket, and Fig. 4 shows a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the stationary handle member formed with a groove 11', 12 indicates the movable handle member pivoted to the stationary handle member by the pin 13, and 14 indicates a pair of links pivoted to the movable handle member and extended into the groove 11 of the stationary handle member. Mounted in one end of the stationary handle member is the stationary blade member 15 formed with a substantially flat outer face 16, the contour of said flat outer face being such as to receive an article to be cut and to prevent the moving blade, hereinafter described, from forcing the article outwardly beyond said face. In the following description, the side of the stationary blade adjacent to the movable blade will be called the upper side. At the corner of this upper side and the fiat outer edge of the stationary blade is a recess in which is mounted a relatively small sharp ened blade 17 which projects only a slight distance beyond the flat outer edge 16. The other end of the stationary blade portion is secured in the handle by the rivets 18. Secured to the upper face of the stationary blade is a guiding bracket 19 and near the outer end of the stationary blade is a second guiding bracket 20.

The movable blade comprises a straight body portion 21 and a curved sharpened blade portion 22. On top of the movable blade is a guide 23 tapered from a maxibracket 20 is spaced apart from the stationary blade 15 far enough to permit the movable blade 22 to enter between it and said stationary blade.

In practical operation and assuming the movable blade to be at its outer limit, the operator places the knives around an article to be cut and then moves the handle 12 toward the handle 10 until the cutting edge of the movable blade overlaps the outer edge of the stationary blade. During this movement, the movable blade will at all times be drawn along the article to be cut and at no time will there be a direct pressure on said article other than the drawing cut referred to. The small knife blade 16 on the stationary blade will be forced to enter the article being cut a slight distance far enough to sever the bark or fibers of the article to be cut a short distance on the side thereof that is not engaged by the movable blade. In this way the bark or outer fibers of the article to be cut are severed and thus a clean cut is made. The flat outer edge of the stationary blade, however, prevents the said stationary blade from entering the article to be cut far enough to stick. The brackets 19 and 20 will hold the movable knife closely to the stationary one during this movement and the tapered feature of the guide member 23vserves the additional function of causing the outer end of the movable knife blade to bear more forcibly upon the stationary one as the cutting movement is being completed. This prevents the outer end of the movable blade from springing away from the stationary one.

In use there is a tendency for the movable blade to spring away from the stationary one as the drawing cut is nearing its completion. It is essential, therefore, that the movable blade be guided to move in a straight line and also be firmly held against the stationary blade throughout its entire movement. The stationary blade projects laterally from the handle. It is, therefore, necessary for the movable blade to be curved or inclined toward the stationary one so that it moves across the entire face of the stationary blade. The guide forv the movable blade is placed as near as possible to the inner end of the stationary blade and must be of such structure that the cutting edge of the movable blade may pass between it and thestationary blade during a part of its movement. It is desirable, therefore, to 110 place a straight rib on the outer face of the movable blade and have this rib enter a part of the guide loop and in this Way the desired result as to holding the blades together during their entire stroke may be attained and yet the cutting edge of the movable blade may pass under the guide loop.

Another valuable feature of the implement is that the movable handle, the links 14 and the movable blade are all exactly in line and hence there is no side draft during the cutting movement.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, therefor is 1. In.a,pruning shears, the combination of a stationary blade, a movable blade having a sliding connection with the stationary blade and having its cutting edge arranged at an acute angle relative to the path in which the blade slides and a guide device attached to the stationary blade and having a sliding connection with the outer face of the movable blade, said guiding device engaging the movable blade near one end of its cutting edge when the movable blade is in position for starting its stroke and engaging the movable blade near the other end or its cutting edge when the movable blade has completed its stroke 2. In a pruning shears, the combination of a stationary blade, a movable blade slidingly connected with the sta tionary blade and having its cutting edge extended at an acute angle relative to the path in which the movable blade slides and a guide loop having its ends fixed to the stationary blade and passed around the movable blade engaging the face of the movable blade opposite stationary blade, said guide loop positioned to overlap the outer end of the cutting portion of the movable blade when the movable blade is in position at the end of its cutting stroke.

2%. In a pruning shears, the combination of a stationary blade, :1 guide loop fixed to the stationary bla'de near one end of the cutting portion thereof and a movable blade slidillgiy connected with the stationary blade having its face opposite from the stationary blade engaged by the guide loop, said movable blade arranged for movement in a 40 path that will bring its cutting edge under the guide loop during a portion of its stroke.

4. In a pruning shears, the combination of a stationary blade, a guide loop fixed to the stationary blade near one end of the cutting portion thereof, a movable blade slidingly connected with the stationary blade having its face opposite from the stationary blade engaged by the guide loop, said movable blade arranged for movement in a path that will bring its cutting edge under the guide loop during a portion of its stroke, a rib on the movable blade and shoulders on the guide loop to engage the sides of said rib to prevent lateral movement of the movable blade.

5. In a pruning shears, the combination of a stationary, blade, a movable blade, a guide rib fixed to the movable blade on its side opposite from the stationary blade, said rib having a beveled edge, a guide loop fixed to the stationary blade to overlap the movable blade and having an inclined shoulder to engage the beveled face of said rib.

6. The combination of a stationary handle member formed with a groove, a movable handle member pivoted in said groove, a link connected with the movable handle member and movable in said groove, a stationary blade member extended laterally of the stationary handle member. stationary guides upon the stationary blade member, one of them adjacent to the inner end of the stationary (S5 knife and formed with a raised central portion, a movable blade member comprising a body portion slidingly mounted in said guides and connected with said link and a cutting edge arranged at an acute angle relative to the body portion, and a guide rib on the movable blade tapering from its outer toward its inner end to be engaged by the raised portion of the guide.

Iles Moines, Iowa, May ZZ-l, 1005.

WILLIAM HENRY GRAY.

Witnesses Mrs. G. L. (litmus, E. M. KNoX.- 

